MEETING WITH JARED LETO FOR CRASH #64

By Crash redaction

CHARISMATIC ACTOR AND MUSICIAN JARED LETO IS BACK IN PARIS FOR THE RELEASE OF HIS NEW ALBUM WITH “30 SECONDS TO MARS”. THE AWARD-WINNING TRIO HAS SOLD MORE THAN 5 MILLION RECORDS AROUND THE WORLD AND THEIR MUSIC VIDEOS HAVE RACKED UP OVER 300 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE…

WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE NEW ALBUM?

I draw inspiration from my life, from my musical universe. It comes from my travels around the world, from books and meals and hikes. Sometimes I feel moved when I go to a show, like an art show, or by literature. But all kinds of things inspire me: walking in the streets of Paris, for example, because I was in France for quite a long time working on the album.

THAT’S WHY YOU LOVE COMING TO PARIS?

Sure, I recorded a lot of songs here. It’s a real source of inspiration.

WHAT KINDS OF BOOKS INSPIRE YOU IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

I like reading different kinds of books, especially fiction, or philosophy, technology, and sociology.

WHAT ARTISTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?

Hum, I don’t know. I’ve only done one collaborative project in the past, with Kanye West. It was fun, it was interesting. But the new album is focused primarily on our band and who we are. There aren’t any tracks featuring anyone else. Though I’d like to collaborate with a female artist sometime. I think it would be a lot of fun.

HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE NEW ALBUM?

I approached it with blood, sweat and tears, with everything I have, and with complete abandon. For me, it’s not just music: it’s life.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE ALBUM?

We’re all very proud of the album. It’s got 12 very unique songs like “Up in the Air,” “Conquistador,” and “Birth”. Each song is very different from the next. But they’re all connected because they’re all about movies: “Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams.”

IS THE NEW ALBUM A LOT DIFFERENT FROM YOUR LAST ONE?

I think this album is very unique. We like it. We’re very proud of it.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU IN MUSIC?

Again: “Love Lust, Faith and Dreams”. We just launched a video and we’re doing a tour that will take us to the Grand Palais on July 9th. I think we’re going to be the first band to play there, so we’re very excited for it.
WOW! THAT SOUNDS STUNNING! AND WHAT ABOUT FASHION… WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNER?
I don’t really know much about fashion. There are some people who I think are really talented like Hedi Slimane, Kris Van Assche, Rick Owens…

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

If I’m alive… maybe gone, vanished.

OH, COME ON! THAT’S A BIT DARK! REALLY, WHAT ABOUT IN TEN YEARS?

(smiles/laughs) Maybe wandering around. In a plane over Africa or on a boat. I’ve been thinking about traveling around the world.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASPIRING ARTISTS?
Listen to your instinct, your intuition, and work, work, work! A bridge between dreams and reality does exist, and its name is work.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN PARIS?

It all depends. I like sitting in parks, having coffee, walking around. I like getting falafel in the Rue des Rosiers: there are two places across the street from each other that I like.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPOT IN PARIS?
I particularly like going to “Mariage Frères” teahouse (30, Rue du Bourg Tibourg, 75004 Paris). I think they have the best tea and the best desert. But I would definitely like to know more about Paris, it’s an interesting town.

ANY FILM PROJECTS IN THE WORKS?

I don’t do movies anymore really, only sometimes and very infrequently. I did work on a film in December called “Dallas Buyers Club.” I play a transsexual woman, so I worked a lot on my body and I had to wear miniskirts, fur coats, blush, and fake lashes.

SO YOU LIKE TO TAKE RISKS WHEN YOU DO MOVIES, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT’S TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER ROLES YOU’VE DONE…
Un tout petit peu! But it’s a new challenge, and that’s why I like it! (laughs) But right now, I’m mostly focused on the new album with the band. We just sent some of our songs into outer space about a month ago! We put a CD into a rocket and blasted it on up to the International Space Station for the galactic premiere of our songs. So that’s pretty cool, and pretty crazy. I guess the other crazy thing is Damien Hirst: he did the cover art for the new album and we’re very excited and very proud about that. INTERVIEW CÉLINE REY